Letters to the Editor for Feb. 19

Published 12:19 am, Sunday, February 19, 2017

MISD board, administration need to lead

Community Editorial Board:

Really?

No sooner do you get done blaming teachers for the failure of our recent bond election, than you blame those same teachers for lack of engagement in changing the culture of MISD. Really? The needed engagement is by the board and administration, not by the teachers.

Why would a career educator, many of whom need their benefits, have school loans, house loans, children and families and are already doing everything in their power to do those jobs, then jeopardize all of that, as well as put their professional standing at risk only to tell a group of amateur educators the issues they face daily? Especially when our newly minted principals are threatening to fire them, or otherwise ruin their careers? Why single yourself out? The nail that sticks up gets pounded down. And, God knows, our teachers have been pounded down enough.

Our cadre of professional educators already knows their value. They know that their skill set, their degree and professional training have tremendous value both in the education field as well as outside it. They also know that other school districts and businesses covet that experience.

It is the job of leaders to go to the front lines (classrooms) and ask questions. Get out of your cozy offices, ask questions, and get busy. Lead.

Dan Bertelsen

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Not all companies are true to their word

I called a construction company in Midland and spoke with the owner regarding an issue I was having in my home. The owner, a long time Midlander assured me that if I paid him $50, he could fix the problem. He added “if I can’t fix it, I’ll give you your $50 back.” He fixed the problem. Thank you, Lewellen Construction Co., for keeping your word.

In 2009 after the hail storms in Midland, a property management company who I contracted with to manage my home in Midland, contacted me concerning the hail storm and sent someone out to check my roof. I received a call and a request to turn the claim in to my insurance company. By all accounts, I believed that the roof had been replaced -- a settled issue.

Not so fast ... in 2017, I learned that the roof was never replaced and the roofer was paid! Why did it take so long for me to discover this? The property manager misrepresented the condition of my home. The tenant died unexpectedly, and I discovered that my home had been destroyed. To add insult to injury, the property manager admitted to me that the tenant had changed the locks on the home a year earlier.

The response that I received from the property manager was “for an additional fee, we will go into the home and do a walk through every three or six months.” What? Why was I paying a management fee? I terminated the contract and subsequently requested all management fees be returned. The response I received” “My mother retired.”

We have a new company, and we have no knowledge of the roofing issue. The roofer, well, he is in Midland and claims he replaced the roof, even after my insurance company has pictures and proof that the roof was not replaced.

At this point, I have no legal recourse, and by the responses that I received from my request from the roofer and the property management company -- there is no moral obligation either. I’m disappointed in these two Midlanders . What happened to a handshake and a promise?

Crystal Pleasant Wilson

Arlington

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